INDUSTRIAL RUST REMOVAL  AND WATER-BASED SOLUTIONS

If you work with iron or steel parts or equipment, you’ve almost certainly had to deal with rust. Rust can ruin the metal parts you need, cause machinery to malfunction, and create safety hazards. There’s not enough time in the day to sand and scrub rust off, but you still need your metal parts and machinery in top shape. In this post, we’ll explain how different types of industrial rust removal acids and water-based solutions work, so you can find the best product for your needs.

What is Rust?

Rust occurs when iron and other ferrous (containing iron) metals oxidize. When oxygen, water, and iron meet, a subtle and invisible chemical process occurs that causes electrons to move and turns iron into iron oxide, also known as rust. Salt water in coastal regions or from winter road salt, as well as acid rain in some urban or industrial areas, are known contributors that speed up oxidation.

Do All Metals Rust?

Oxidation is one type of corrosion that can occur on metals, and many metals suffer from oxidation. However, rust is specific to metals containing iron, which includes all types of iron (wrought iron, cast iron) and steel (carbon steel, stainless steel). Other non-ferrous metals like aluminum, copper, or lead, can corrode, but they don’t rust.</P

So what does this mean for industrial rust removal? Understanding what causes rust can help to know how to get rid of it, and which methods work better than others, and why.

How Does Rust Removal Work?

Just like the formation of rust, industrial rust remover acids use chemical processes to remove rust. Mechanical processes such as scrubbing or sanding/sandblasting can be used to remove rust, but they are labor-intensive, time-consuming work. In this post, we’ll cover industrial rust removal acids and water-based solutions.

Industrial rust removal for removing rust from pipes, rebar, or machined parts includes all of the following methods:

• Strong acids and alkalis: Strong acids, like hydrochloric acid (AKA muriatic acid when diluted), as well as strong alkalis, react with rust and dissolve it. However, these caustic chemicals also eat away at most other substances, and they are very dangerous to work with.
• Weak acids: Weak acids, like oxalic acid or EDTA react with rust less intensely than strong acids, with a slightly different reaction. These weak acids are less acidic and are safer to work with and they are easy to dispose of.
• Water-based solutions: Acid-free, water-based solutions use a different chemical process to react specifically with rust and remove it, leaving the underlying metal unaffected. They are the safest option to work with.
• Electrolysis: Electrolysis speeds up chemical reactions and destroys rust by applying electrical current to the reaction. This can also be dangerous and can produce toxic chemicals and fumes.
• Mechanical: Metal parts can be scrubbed and sandblasted to mechanically remove rust. This is hard work and can create noticeable unevenness that will affect the function or appearance of the part or equipment.